Doncic scores 28 in 26 minutes, Mavs rout Pelicans 130-84

DALLAS (AP) — With Kristaps Porzingis joining Luka Doncic in the Dallas lineup this season, the Mavericks expected to be better. But Boban Marjanovic?

Doncic scored 28 points in 26 minutes, Porzingis had 13 points and the 1,500th rebound of his career and Marjanovic had season highs of 15 points and 16 rebounds to help Dallas rout the New Orleans Pelicans 130-84 on Saturday. Doncic also had nine assists and six rebounds.

Dallas led 64-52 at halftime. Doncic already had 20 points, and Marjanovic scored 11 points, nine in the second quarter.

“(Marjanovic) did a great job,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “The group in the second quarter really did a good job of giving us a 10-point lead. He was a big part of it, getting it to him with a smaller guy on him. He was doing a lot of damage.”

The Pelicans didn’t get within 10 points in the second half.

“The rest of the game was just a formality,” Porzingis said.

Last season, Doncic was the NBA’s rookie of the year and Porzingis was injured and didn’t play after being acquired in a trade with the New York Knicks.

Marjanovic, a 7-foot-4 Serbian, played for two teams before taking a 50% pay cut to sign with Dallas as a free agent. He was a force against the undersized Pelicans.

“When they elected to use (Jahlil) Okafor, that was an opportunity for us to use Boban,” Carlisle said. “It’s hard to use him against guys like (Jaxson) Hayes because of the quickness and shooting.”

Porzingis and his teammates were happy for Marjanovic.

“Can’t stop Bobie,” Porzingis said. “He played great on the boards. He’s so big, so strong. Once he gets the ball in the paint, they can’t do much out there.”

Marjanovic energized the crowd and his teammates.

“When you hear (the crowd) cheering for you, basically you warm up your body so fast. Blood keep going through the body, and you’re not too tight anymore.”

The 46-point margin was two shy of Dallas’ season high against Golden State.

Dallas has won five in a row to improve to 18-8. The Mavericks have won 10 of 11 for the first time since winning their only NBA championship in 2010-11.

New Orleans has lost eight in a row.

“A poorly played game, a poorly coached game,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said.

Doncic, Porzingis and the other starters didn’t play in the fourth quarter after the Mavericks ran up a 38-point lead at 104-66.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 14 points.

Off the bench, Jalen Brunson scored 14 on 6-for-6 shooting and Seth Curry had 11.

J.J. Redick led New Orleans with 15 points. Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday scored 14 each and Hayes had 11.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Redick had a 4-point play 3:27 into the game. Only Jamal Crawford and James Harden have more career 4-point plays in NBA history than Redick. ... F/C Derrick Favors, who is on a personal leave, missed his 11th straight game.

Mavericks: G Delon Wright didn’t play after the first quarter because of a right adductor strain. “Very unlikely he’s playing (Sunday),” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said.… C Dwight Powell was in the starting lineup after leaving Wednesday’s game with an injury to his left wrist. ... Dallas scored a season-high 104 points in the first three quarters. ...The Mavericks’ 40 points were the most in the third quarter this season. ... They are 10 games over .500 for the first time since 2014-15.

20, 5 AND 5 OR MORE

When Mavericks G Luka Doncic grabbed a defensive rebound 23 seconds into the third quarter, it marked his 18th straight game with at least 20 points, five assists and five rebounds in a game. The only player to have done that since the NBA/NBA merger in 1976 was Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in 1976-77. Oscar Robertson had a 29-game streak before the merger.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Host Detroit on Tuesday night.

Mavericks: Host Sacramento on Sunday.